Standard abbreviation: Hist. Sacra
Other titles: none
Clavis numbers: ECCA 661
Category: Lists of Apostles and Disciples
Related literature: Acts of Matthew in the City of the Priests, Acts of Thomas and His Wonderworking Skin, Book of Bartholomew, Martyrdom of Andrew, Preaching of Bartholomew.
Compiled by: Tony Burke, York University ([email protected])
Citing this resource (using Chicago Manual of Style): Burke, Tony. “Historia Sacra.” e-Clavis: Christian Apocrypha. Accessed DAY MONTH YEAR. https://www.nasscal.com/e-clavis-christian-apocrypha/historia-sacra/
Created May 2023.
1. SUMMARY
This fragmentary text is a series of short homilies in varying lengths of biblical figures. The published fragments feature several Old Testament characters: Noah, Melchizedek, Abraham, Joseph and Aseneth, Job, Moses, and Joshua. As for New Testament characters, the first extant portion covers Peter, with a comment on his role as holder of the keys of heaven and hell. Then follows Andrew who was sent into a city to preach and because the people did not listen to his message, he became angry and caused fire to come from heaven and burn them. Due to his hot temper, another apostle was appointed to accompany him and remind him of the commissioning commandment from Matt 28:19. James, the son of Zebedee, is treated briefly; it states only that he preached to diaspora Jews in Mamarika and that Agrippa killed him with the sword. John is identified as the apostle who reclined on Jesus’ breast and who authored a gospel. The entry on Thomas is fragmentary. After a statement about his doubt about the resurrection, it is said that his skin and body were rubbed with fragments of sackcloth, likely a reference to his flaying. Bartholomew is identified as a gardener and vegetable dealer. He saw angels singing at the resurrection of Jesus and preached in the Oasis, accompanied by Peter. The two apostles gained entry into the city by Peter selling Bartholomew as a slave. Matthew went to Eiarei of Parthia where, in order to gain entry into the city, he participated in a dancing ritual as part of a celebration of the city’s god. But once inside, Matthew drew closer to the idol and its god fled the city. The final extant entry is about Judas, the brother of James. He wrote about the angels who sinned and about Moses, the devil, and the archangel Michael.
Named historical figures and characters: Abraham (patriarch), Agrippa (king), Andrew (apostle), Aseneth, Bartholomew (apostle), James (son of Zebedee), Job, John (son of Zebedee), Joseph (patriarch), Joshua (patriarch), Judas/Jude (brother of Jesus), Melchizedek, Michael (angel), Moses (patriarch), Noah (patriarch), Peter (apostle), Thomas (apostle).
Geographical locations: Eire/Eiarei, Marmarika, Oasis, Parthia.
2. RESOURCES
3. BIBLIOGRAPHY
3.1 Manuscripts and Editions
3.1.1 Coptic (PAThs entry; see links for editions)
MONB.CF (10th/11th cent.)
3.2 Modern Translations
3.2.1 English
Winstedt, Eric O. “Addenda to ‘Some Coptic Apocryphal Legends.’” JTS 10 (1909): 389–412.
_____. “Some Coptic Apocryphal Legends.” JTS 9 (1907–1908): 372–86.
3.3 General Works
Miroshnikov, Ivan. “The Coptic Martyrdom of Andrew.” Apocrypha 29 (2018): 9–28 (pp. 16–17).